noah's blog

Noah Lawrence

To Kill A Mockingbird

Realistic Fiction

Just Right

 Pg.  145

1.        Aunt Alexander has moved to town.  She is there to “help” Atticus during the trial.  She really would like to give them lessons on how to behavior like a Finch.  Later, Dill comes back to town as he has run away.  He felt that his parents do not spend any time with him.  His mom was newly remarried.  Aunt Alexander suggests that the Finch’s no longer need Calpurnia, but Atticus refuses this suggestion.  Also, Calpurnia takes the children to her church and Aunt Alexander tells Scout that she can never go again. Another important scene was when Scout defuses a mob in front of the jail house! She does this by having friendly conversation with Mr. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham gets embarrassed and tells the mob to go home.

2.       When I read this book I am disturbed by the racism. This makes me sad and depressed. Some disturbing scenes are the mob scene. The mob had come to hurt Mr. Robinson. Another thing is the names that people call Atticus. He is called a “nigger lover” because he is defending Tom Robinson.  It is hard to hear this from the town’s people because the earlier part of the book was all about the small happy town of Maycomb.  Now that the trial is near, you can see what people really feel. This is surprising because, the book leads you to believe that Atticus is the town’s savior.  Now he is faced with a really big job of defending Tom Robinson during this racist period of time.

3.        This part of the book is all about social structure.  Aunt Alexander is high up in the social circle.  She attends tea parties and people bake goods for her.  She regards herself as a lady of class and expects Scout to behave the same way.  Although, the Ewells are very poor, but they are still white and Tom Robison is below them because he his black.  The Ewells do not have to obey the laws because of how poor they are.  The Cunningham’s are poor, but are more responsible for their own lives and therefore live above the Ewells. 

4.       My favorite character is Scout because she is interesting, funny and sticks up for what she believes in.  I think she is a reliable character.  Even though she is very young,  the reader can follow the story as she lived it. 

5.       My  least favorite character is Bob Ewell.  I dislike him because he does not care for his children and spends his money on himself.  He doesn’t obey laws or make sure his kids go to school.  He sends them the first day to sign in and then they never go back. 

6.       My prediction is that Bob Ewell will be there during the trial and mess something up so people will see his true character.

Abdell St. Paul
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
Historical Fiction
Just Right
Finished

1.I read the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the ending of the book is not exactly a happy one, and not all loose ends are tied up neatly. It is not certain that the characters we have come to know will get what they want. It is quite the opposite, in fact, and for Sohrab in particular there are fresh wounds that will leave permanent scars. The near endless abuse he has suffered is manifest in almost everything he does. Because of the physical and sexual abuse Assef and the Taliban inflicted on him, he flinches every time Amir reaches out to touch him. He also bathes for long periods because he feels he is literally dirty as a result of his rape. Because of this abuse, as well as the abandonment he experienced when Hassan and Farzana were murdered, he is so terrified of going back to an orphanage, even temporarily, that he tries to kill himself. After he recovers, he says only that he wants his old life back. He stops speaking entirely, instead withdrawing into himself as if into a protective shell, completely unable to trust or open up to another person. In the pink scars on his wrists, he is left with a permanent mark of his trauma.

2. I feel that Khaled Hosseini had a lot of detail in the ending of the book. I liked how Khaled Hosseini explained how the Taliban was abusing Sohrab. I liked how Khaled Hosseini explained why Sohrab took a bath in long period of times. I liked the rising action of the book because it explained the plot more clearly. I liked the foreshadowing in the beginning of the book that predicted what was going to happen at the end of the book. I liked how the book described what Afghanistan looked like.I didn't like that Khaled Hosseini had rape in the book. I didn't like how the main character was a coward, liar, and a thief. I didn't like how the book was too predictable.

3. One of the themes in the book The Kite Runner is Loyalty. This is especially evident in the relationship between Amir and Hassan. Despite the fact that Hassan is actually Amir’s half-brother, he is his servant, because no one but Baba and Ali know the truth. Nonetheless, even though Hassan is the victim of discrimination and class structure, he is completely devoted and loyal to Amir, both as his servant and as his friend. It takes Amir many years to atone for how terribly he treated the loyalty and love that Hassan always offered no matter what the circumstances. 


4.My favorite character in the book is Hassan because he was Amir's best friend. Hassan proves himself a loyal friend to Amir repeatedly, defending Amir when he is attacked and always being ready to listen. His defining traits are bravery, selflessness, and intelligence, though his smarts are more instinctual than bookish, largely because he is uneducated. As a poor ethnic Hazara, he is considered an inferior in Afghan society, and he is a victim of racism throughout the novel as a result. He doesn't know that Baba is his father and Amir is his half-brother.

5.My least favorite character is Assef because he's the antagonist of the story. He is a neighborhood bully and is described as a "sociopath" by Amir. Many of his cruel actions as a child include raping Hassan as a means of revenge against Amir. He has a sociopathic nature even as a boy and admires Hitler for what he had done in eliminating the Jews. He wants to emulate this evil German by destroying all the Hazaras. He never forgets a slight from anyone and plots revenge.  He gave Amir a biography of Adolf Hitler as a birthday present. As an adult, he joins the Taliban and rapes and abuses Hassan's son Sohrab.

6.The didn't expect the ending of the book to be sad. I wasn't expecting Amir to find Hassan's son in the orphanage in Afghanistan. I wasn't expecting that Amir would have flashbacks of Hassan and Ali when he was flying a kite with Sohrab. I wasn't expecting Amir to ask Sohrab if he wanted to chase the kite. I thought that Amir wouldn't find a way to forgive Hassan for what he did as a little kid. In the beginning of the book Hassan ran after the kite for Amir, this foreshadowed that Amir would do this for Hassan's son for forgiveness.

Hannah Lee

Hannah Lee
It's Not Summer Without You
Jenny Han
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
62

1. So far I am not too far into the book, but it's already really sad. Within the first chapter you learn that Susannah dies from cancer, and she was one of my favorite characters. She was always so sunny and happy and the book seems like it's going to be very bleak without her. At Susannah's funeral, Belly manages to mess things up with Conrad, who she has been in love with for as long as she can remember. When he kisses her at the end of the first book, she is ecstatic, only to have him go to college and only see her on weekends when he comes and visits. At the funeral, she promises herself not to leave his side, but when he slips away and she finds him with another girl comforting him, she gets really upset. She says some things she doesn't really mean, and feels terrible afterwords, especially since it is the day of his mom's funeral. When they go back home she still hasn't made up with him, and she doesn't think he'll ever forgive her. She gets a call from Jeremiah one day, telling her that Conrad has disappeared and he needs her help finding him and so she agrees, telling her mom that she's staying over at her best friend Taylor's house. I stopped reading just as they leave to go find Conrad.

2. This book is alright so far, but I already find it to be a little boring. With Savannah gone I feel like things are going to be so depressing, and that's not really the kind of book I want to read when I'm reading a Holiday book. I hope that things will get more exciting as Jeremiah and Belly go looking for Conrad, otherwise I feel like this book isn't going to be very deep and kind of just a bunch of random events and conversations stringed together. I'm also not a huge fan of how this book is formatted, with random point of view changes and flashbacks. It's never very clear when the time or point of view changes so I always find myself having to go back and reread a couple of pages after I see that something has changed. I don't really like this style of writing because it just seems like the author is wimping out and telling us what other characters are thinking instead of showing it through one point of view. I can understand the flashbacks because she story involves a bunch of summers but sometimes it can be a bit confusing to keep everything straight.

3. A theme in this book is definitely innocence, or loss of innocence. In the previous books, Belly is really innocent, and doesn't really have any idea of the world around her. All she knows is Cousin's beach, and the boys she spends summers with. She doesn't have any idea of how serious Savannah's illness is really until she dies. Susannah's death is kind of a wake up call for her though, a particularly harsh one at that. She starts to see her world as what it is, empty without Susannah and Conrad in it. She sees that her words have more of an effect on people than she could ever imagine and that her help is sometimes vital.

4. My favorite character so far is Jeremiah. It's clear from his point of view that he is in love with Belly, even though she is completely oblivious. He has to watch her fall for his brother which is really sad and kind of heartbreaking. He's still really positive for the most part though, and understands that admitting his feelings to Belly would make things more complicated than make things better. I guess I feel compassion for the fact that he has to watch the girl he loves fall for another guy, especially when that guy is his brother.

5. My least favorite character is probably Conrad. He might be mysterious and alluring to Belly but he just seems like a jerk to me. Even though Belly was really harsh on him, especially on the day of his mother's funeral, if it had been any other I day I would have said he deserved it. Belly was trying to be there for him and instead he betrays her by finding his ex and taking comfort in that. Even more, he disappears when he knows that everyone will be insanely worried and everyone already has so much on their plates. From what I can see so far, Conrad just comes across as a self centered jerk.

6. I think that on their trip to find Conrad, a lot will happen. I think that it will take a lot more than one night to find him since it seems like if Conrad does't want to be found, he won't be. I think that in the process Jeremiah will come to accept his feelings for Belly and maybe even admit them to her. Since Taylor packed the overnight bag for Belly, I think that there will be a lot of stuff in there that she will be embarrassed to wear, so I think it might be a little uncomfortable for her. I think that they'll find Conrad eventually at Cousins and they'll stay for the rest of the summer there.

Winnie McCabe

Winnie McCabe
Alphas
Lisi Harrison
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
38

1. Right now I am reading Alphas by Lisi Harrison. I am not very far into the book yet. The characters are still being described at this point. The three main characters are Skye Hamilton, Allie A. Abbott, and Charlie Deery. They are all heading to this brand new school for exceptional girls, but each one has different reasons. They were invited by Shira Brazille, an eccentric billionaire. Skye is a really good dancer from Westchester, New York. She received her acceptance letter in the mail. However, they thought that her essay was lost. She had given up on getting into Alpha Academy, but she was thrilled by the great news. Charlie's mom works for Shira. Charlie practically grew up with Shira's kids. She is dating Darwin, one of Shira's sons. She is flying into Alpha Academy with her mother. They are staying there for a little while, and then Charlie is going to Hoboken for boarding school. She is convinced that Shira is sending her away to boarding school in hopes that she will break up with Darwin. Allie recently broke up with her boyfriend because she caught him with her best friend. She steals a girl named Allie J's identity and flies to the school. Allie J. is a singer-songwriter that is all about saving the planet. Allie J. is in Antarctica so Allie thinks she can pull off her plan.

2. This book is not that good so far. I like the stories of the different girls, but the concept of the school is kind of weird. Harrison did not really do a great job writing the book. It is in 3rd person narration so I think it should be a little more sophisticated. The way she describes the characters makes me not like the characters. Also, she switches off between three different settings. This can get confusing to me because she does not make it clear that she is following a completely different character. In the transition from the first chapter to the second chapter I thought that I was still reading about Skye, even though I was reading about Allie. She did a better job switching to Charlie's seen though. Overall, this book has no structure, a poor storyline, and unappealing characters. I am not liking this book, but I think that I will finish it anyways.

3. A major theme in this book is competition. This theme is apparent through almost all of the characters in the book. There is a lot of competition at Body Alive Dance Studio, Skye's dance studio. The girls in the studio all compete to be as good as Skye. Skye critiques each and every one of them when they dance behind her. She is the best dancer in the studio though. There is also competition between Allie and her best friend Trina. They fought over Allie's boyfriend, Fletcher. Allie is really pretty but Trina is not as pretty as she is. Allie has the better appearance but Trina has amazing art skills. Fletcher looks past Allie's good looks and chooses Trina because he is attracted to her talents. I even see a little bit of competition between Shira and Charlie. Shira wants to get rid of Charlie because she is dating Darwin. I'm not sure yet, but I sense a bit of tension. The Alpha Academy itself is a place of competition. There are 1000 people that applied, 100 got in, and only one will win.

4. My favorite character is Charlie. I think that she is the most down-to-earth character. I don't know that much about her yet, but I know that she is very pure. She is not super rich and doesn't care about her appearance too much. She is just a regular girl from New Jersey. She grew up with Shira's boys so I think that she is sort of a tomboy. There is also just a lot of charisma in her character. I don't love her, but I really don't like the other characters at all. Charlie is the most real out of the three main girls that are followed in this book. The others are really snobby and don't appreciate their opportunities.

5. My least favorite character is Allie. She is doing something that could result in a really bad situation. I don't like the way that she just stole Allie J's mail and decided that she could pull off stealing her identity. It was a really selfish act that will definitely have major repercussions. Just because she had a bad breakup doesn't mean that she needed to ruin somebody else's life. I know that she will be trouble because she doesn't care about anyone but herself. She is potentially dangerous to Alpha Academy and Shira's reputation.

6. I predict that Allie will get caught with her identity theft. I think this because Allie J. does not really look like Allie does. Even though Allie changed her look, she could still be caught. Also, Allie J. went to Antarctica to help the planet. She will have to come back at some point! Allie also cannot sing. Allie J. is a singer-songwriter. She will have to sing at Alpha Academy because they are interested in people's talents. Allie will not be the same as Allie J. and could easily be caught by Shira. I think that Trina could also do something to hurt Allie because they got in a really bad fight before she left. If Trina finds out about Allie's scheme, she will definitely want to hurt Allie.

Sophie Van Riet

Sophie Van Riet
It's Not Summer Without You
Jenny Han
Realistic fiction
Just Right
46

1. I am currently reading the sequel to The Summer I Turned Pretty. It is called, It's Not Summer Without You, by Jenny Han. I'm not very far into it, but a lot has happened so far. Right now, Jeremiah has called Belly (the main character) telling her that Conrad is gone. Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher and brothers, and their mother, Susannah Fisher, died two months ago. The Fishers and Belly's family are very close. Every summer, they all would go down to their shared beach house, but since Susannah lost her life from cancer, that tradition has stopped.  Susannah was an amazing person, so all their lives have been affected from her death. She was the light at the end of the tunnel.  She was the person that made everything okay for Belly.  At the end of the previous book, you find out that Susannah has cancer.  I was hopeful she would get better, and so were all the characters in the book, but she doesn't. Belly has become very distraught and almost depressed. So when she gets a call that Conrad's gone, she panics because she is imagining the worst, since that's basically all she is used to. Belly was very mean to Conrad on the day of the funeral. She and him were dating, and she catches him with another girl. She tells him she hates him and that she never wants to see him again. Since she gets a call that they can't find him, she worries that she actually might not see him again.

2.  I feel this book is off to a good start. It is very upsetting though. Susannah was my favorite character in the first book, so it's very upsetting that she is gone.  I think that the author does a very good job of conveying the characters emotions. You can almost feel the pain that they are going through. Although I think the book is off to a good start, I'm not sure it will live up to my expectations. I am really hoping that things will get better for the characters, but I'm not exactly sure they really can.  I feel that the plot will get more interesting with Conrad gone and all.  I think that the authors writing is very clear and vivid.  I really think that if Susannah had not died i would like this book much better.

3.  I think a big theme in the book is loss.  Susannah is a huge loss for everyone. The book really shows the effects of her loss and what the characters have to go through. It affects their everyday lives. I really see how different Belly is now. Things that she would usually laugh about she gets annoyed at instead. I also see the loss of her bond with Conrad. She thought that she knew who he was and what he stood for, but she soon learns that all that is different. I think there's also a little bit of the loss of who you are as a person. I think partly the reason why Belly is having such a hard time is because she's changed so much she really can't figure what she is living for anymore. For example, she is still staying best friends with a girl named Taylor even though she secretly hates her.  I hope Belly and all the other characters learn how to deal with their loss.

4.  My favorite character is Jeremiah. I really see a lot of Susannah in him. He's nice to everyone and deals with Conrad's moodiness. He makes feel Belly feel like she is safe and has someone to turn to.  He's also really easygoing. I really like that quality in a person.I feel he also can deal with things in a good way. When his mother died, he let Conrad have space and talked to everyone at the reception instead of avoiding the situation like Conrad did. I'm glad that he is coming into the story more.

5.  My least favorite character is by far Conrad. He is very self centered and I feel that he really doesn't care about Belly's feelings. He also doesn't deal with his messes, and instead leaves other people to clean them up.  I understand that his mother has just died, and that would be hard for anyone, but even before that he didn't really care. I am wondering if there is something that I am missing, because Belly cares for him an insane amount.  He's also very mysterious, but not in a good way. I just overall find him to have too big of an ego and to be very mean.

6. I think that searching for Conrad will bring all the characters much closer, like they used to before. I think that they will find him at their beach house, and they will all end up staying there for the summer. I predict this because they have always gone to this house, so why would they not go? Also this is the place all the characters know and love, so why would the be anywhere else? I really hope the characters start getting happier, and learn how to cope with Susannah. I think that Conrad and Belly will end up having a really big fight over what she said during the funeral. I don't know how Belly's mom will come into the story line more, but I hope she does.

Jamie Wright

Jamie Wright
The Prince of Fenway Park
Julianna Baggot
Fiction
Just Right
52

1. I am currently reading The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggot. Oscar is a mixed-race, baseball loving, adopted boy of divorced parents living around 2004. He's lived alone with his mom for a long time and he hardly knows anything about his father. When his mother tells him that he is going to live with his father for a month, he is not happy. Oscar thinks that his father is disappointed in him, it seems as if they both want nothing to do with each other. Because of this Oscar knows that his father doesn't want him going home with him and they are both going to tell this to his mother.  When his mother is not there they realize that they are stuck with each other. So his father decides that he has to take Oscar home with him. As they approach the manhole, Oscar realizes that his father lives in a very peculiar place, underneath Fenway Park. On there way, Oscar's father mentions some weird creatures like a Banshee, Pooka,  waves of mice, Weasel-Man, and a lot more. I am currently at the part where Oscar and his father enter an underground room with three old ladies. They were finally home. This part was very interesting and I thought it was very cool.

2. I think that this book is good in describing characters and settings. One example of that would be how the book described Weasel-Man. It said that he was a giant with weasels all around him, pawing at him with affection. It had also said that there were these small yellow horns sticking out of his head. Another example would be when it was describing Oscar's dad. It said that he was pale, sickly, skinny, and he slouched. One scene that is a great example of the authors description is  when Oscar and his dad arrive at their new home. Oscar said that it was small, cluttered and near crumbling. He also said that a lot of the furniture was recycled from the park. I have never read anything else by this author, but the author is definitely pulling me into the book with its amazing detail. This book is good in detail and it is also good at describing settings.

3. I think that the theme that occurs the most is Trust. One example of trust in this book is how Oscar trusts his father when they go underground and  he has to follow him. He could of just stopped and called his mom, but he trusted his father enough to follow him through the dark underground. Another example of trust would be how Oscar's mom trusts his father enough to let Oscar stay with him for a month instead oh him going somewhere else. One last example of trust in this book is how Oscar trusted his mother, saying that it was very important that he was to stay with his father. If he believed  that it was not important, then he could've protested and she would've had to take him home with her. These are just a few of the many examples of of trust in this book.

4. My favorite character is Oscar because he is tolerant, understanding, and he is tough. One example of his tolerance is when Drew Sizemore kept teasing him about him not knowing who is father was. He could have let it get to him and let Drew win, but he decided to do the right thing and ignore him. Another example of him being tolerant would be how he acted when the gym teacher wrongly accused him of something he didn't do and he was sent to the Principal's office. He could've resisted or expressed his feelings but he knew the smartest thing to do was to be tolerant, suck it up, and go to the Principal's office and accept his punishment.  An example of Oscar being understanding would be    when he understood that his mom needed him to be out of the house for a month, and he understood that it was important. A great example of Oscar's toughness would be when he showed no pain after Drew had knocked him down. When one puts all these qualities together in one person, they will realize that he is a great guy and that it is why Oscars my favorite character.

5. Drew Sizemore is my least favorite character because he's a bully. This means he likes to cause physical and mental pain. He likes to get other kids in trouble, and he likes to pick on kids that are smaller than he is. He is also biased towards Oscar, him being mixed-raced. Drew walked up to Oscar and asked him "who's your daddy?", which was mocking him for being adopted. He also punched Oscar in the back of the neck and pushed him down. That started a chain-reaction that caused practically everyone in the gym to fall like dominoes. Then Oscar gets blamed for it and he is sent to the Principal's office. Drew is just a kid that likes to cause pain, anger, and trouble. That is why he is my least favorite character.

6. I predict that Oscar will encounter more unusual creatures such as a Pooka. Considering he had already met a wave of mice and the Weasel-Man.  I also think that Oscar will get use to living under Fenway Park, because it is so cool and exciting. I also think he will learn a lot more about his dad as they spend time together. Lastly, I think that Oscar will soon find out why his father didn't want him to come live with him and why this place is so dangerous. These are my predictions of what is going to happen later on the book.

Julia Medoff

Julia Medoff
Double
Jenny Valentine
Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished

1. The ending of this book was very unexpected. Chap's secret is uncovered by an odd friend Floyd. He tells Chap about Frank, Cassiel's brother's, past. Floyd explains that Frank was stealing money from one of his customers. He slowly took all of this man's money out of his bank, and then he killed him to hide the evidence. Before Cassiel went missing, he found out about Frank's secret, and blackmailed him into giving Cassiel all of the money that was stolen. Frank was not aware that this person who blackmailed him was actually his brother. He just assumed that it was someone who discovered this crime, and Frank was obligated to hand over the money, unless he wanted to be turned in. Floyd then determined that Frank eventually found out that Cassiel was blackmailing him, and then killed him. Though this prediction had not yet been proved, Floyd had evidence. Cassiel, on the day he disappeared, handed Floyd files of papers that led into the Website that held the money. If Cassiel truly was dead, then Frank knew Chap's secret that he was not Cassiel Roadnight. Chap and Floyd decided on a plan to uncover Frank and turn him in to the police. They developed a plan to take down Frank on the night of the fireworks, which is the same day Cassiel disappeared two years ago. On that day in the book, such surprising things happen, that it will change your outlook on the book completely. Read and find out all of the twists and turns that occur in this unique ending.

2. Overall, the book was very unexpected and included many twist and turns. The book started off slowly, and I felt myself constantly waiting for a new clue to be revealed. As I continued to read on, the book got more interesting and questions and thoughts were starting to get answered. The characters each had their own personality and were very distinguishable from one another. For example, even though Chap and Cassiel may have looked alike, they were completely different characters. You could tell that their personalities would have been very different. There were multiple themes that I found could work for this book, and they reoccurred throughout the story and were played out by the character's actions. At some points, I questioned whether this book would really keep me thinking, but the exciting end really changed my opinion. The author held back and did not reveal much about the book in the beginning but, in the end, all of my questions were answered, and it was full of suspense. This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed her style of writing. The book was a very good read.

3. An overall theme that I have noticed throughout the book was faith versus doubt. This theme was illustrated through the plot and characters. In the beginning of the book, Chap is faced with a decision to possibly assume this missing boy's life or continue on with his identity and live alone. He had many doubts making his decision, realizing that both choices could either be good or bad. He also questioned whether, if he was to take Cassiel Roadnight's identity,  it was fate that he would choose that option. It could be that if he was meant to take Cassiel's life, this choice would bring him to a better part of his own life. On the other hand, if he were to be honest and tell the truth, he could discover his true identity and improve his lonely situation. When Chap makes his decision he is faced with more questions about what his fate will be. Not knowing the outcome, he questions his options and what would work out best for him and his friends. This theme of faith versus doubt is very recurrent in the story, and is embedded in the plot and characters.

4. My favorite character is Edie. She has been my favorite character throughout reading the story. Edie is a very honest person and truly cares for Cassiel. When Cassiel arrives home and is not acting like himself, it is clear that she is worried and wants to solve his issue. For example, Edie is always talking to him and making sure he is calm. Towards the end of the story, my perspective on Edie changed somewhat, however. It was clear that she was a strong, tough girl but, in the end of the story, you could see her insecure personality break out. She was worried for Cassiel, and she knew something was up with him. It was such a shock to have her brother, who had been missing for two years, suddenly come back and be with her. The book portrayed Edie as a strong young girl who cared for her family but was also vulnerable.

5. My least favorite character is Frank. He has been my least favorite character for most of the book. Bad truths are revealed about him in the end of the story that prove he is a person without morals. Chap's friend Floyd uncovered that he was stealing money from one of his clients. Floyd concludes that he must have killed the client after all of the money was now in his own account. Cassiel then found out about Frank's secret and blackmailed him until all the money was turned over to him. Floyd and Chap now assume that Frank must have uncovered the blackmailer, realized it was Cassiel, and then proceeded to kill him. These terrible crimes make Frank a liar and bad person. Floyd and Chap then make a plan to turn Frank into the police.

6. The ending was very unexpected. It was clear that the ending of the book would be very exciting as the book unfolded because of all teh unexpected events. The beginning of the story started off slow and little was revealed abut the ending. Since the reader was waiting for so many questions to be revealed, when the ending came it was really exciting. All of your questions were answered. It turned out to be a little different than what I had predicted. It was full of action and included a lot of detail, so you did not find yourself getting lost. The author gave little clues that woulds lead to the conclusion. At time, you could somewhat predict what may happen, but at other times it was hard to tell. The ending was very long, so in the beginning some clues were given out about the ending part. For example, towards the end, Floyd explained to Chap all of the things he knew about Frank, so you could predict that Frank's secret would be uncovered to all. The ending was full of action, and ended up being really the best part of the book.

Chris Shanahan

Christopher Shanahan
To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Just right
Chapter 14

1.  In the book right now there is a lot going on.  Jem is changing and in a way so is Scout.  For two weeks Atticus was gone because he had an emergency meeting at the state legislature.  So Calpurnia was watching them.  Cal asked the kids if they wanted to go to church with her on Sunday and they said yes.  So that night she washed there clothes and bathed the kids.  When they got to church in the morning some lady named Lula was getting mad at Cal for bringing white kids to a black church.  Lula was yelling at them and Scout and Jem were getting kind of scared.  Then they figured out they were Atticus's children so they let them sit in the front row.  Scout and Jem were full of questions and Cal answered most of them.  Then Scout asked if she could visit Cal during the week, like at her house.  Cal was like sure you can.  Then when they left to go home they saw Aunt Alexandra on the porch in a chair.  She said she was going to be living here for a long time.  That What has been happening in the book right now.

2.  So far this book has been really interesting and has captivated me.  It is one of those books that you never want to put down.  The characters in this book are very well thought-out and diverse.  They all have different personalities.  Also they all have different perspectives on things.  The story line is really good and it is different fro any other book I have read.  The author is definitely pulling me into this book and I really enjoy reading this book.  I like that this book has a lot going on at once, it keeps me reading the book

3.  The theme of this book growing up.  The theme is growing up because Jem and Scout are growing up.  They are understanding what is right from wrong.  Scout is learning how to control her anger and use her mind instead of her fists.  The theme shows up in the characters a lot and also the plot.  It appears in the plot because Jem and Scout have to grow up early because of the setting they live in.  Jem is now being considered a man and he is only twelve years old.

4.   My favorite character is Scout.  She is my favorite character because she is starting to become a better person.  She is starting to use her words instead of her fists.  She is becoming a great person, for example she doesn't care if someone is black or white..  She is trying to ignore the kids at her school when they say very rude things about her dad.  He thinks Atticus should not be helping a black guy in court.   Many people in the town think that to.  The people think its not right and Atticus should defend white people.

5.  My least favorite character is Aunt Alexandra because she is a horrible person.  She is very raciest and try's to act like she is better than everyone else.  Aunt Alexandra comes and lives with the Finches and she makes Cal take her take her suitcase up to her room.  Aunt Alexandra is super raciest and is telling Atticus to fire Cal.  She wants him to fire Cal because she is now in the house and they don't need her.  So that just proves how mean she is and thinks Cal is not worth anything.

6.  I think that later in the book Aunt Alexandra will change and start to not be raciest and respect everyone equally.  Also I think Tom Robinson will lose the trial and Atticus will do his best but fail in the end.  They don't have much of a chance against the white people.  A lot of the people in the town are raciest and don't think of blacks equally.

Noag's posty

Noah Lawrence

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee

 Finished Chapter 10

Just Right

1.        Currently I am at the part where Tim Johnson a rabid dog is shot dead for the safety of the town of Maycomb. Earlier in this chapter Scout and Jem, the main characters, thought that their dad Atticus was boring. The other dads did hard work such as carpentry and farming. were as Atticus used his brain as a lawyer in an office. Atticus did not take part in football games because he said he was too old. The children were amazed when Atticus made an amazing shot to kill the dog. Heck Tate, the sheriff asked Atticus to shoot that dog because Heck did not have a good shot. It turns out that Atticus is a sharpshooter and his nickname was Ole One Shot. Atticus hadn’t shot a gun in thirty years but sniped that dog with accuracy and without his glasses. It only took him a few seconds to line up the shot. It was a one shot kill. If Atticus had missed, the bullet would have went into the Radley house.  Scout wants to brag about this at school but Jem says not to. This shows that Jem is growing up. Also, while Jem is using his gun, Atticus says it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are innocent because they do not harm anyone or property, they just sing beautiful songs. It is in this chapter that we learn about the title of the book and its meaning.

2.       I think the book is very interesting because of all the hidden meanings. This book has lots of detail and a fast paced plot.  The idea of the mockingbird being innocent as well as some of the characters is interesting. Another hidden meaning is Atticus’ character.  You really need to read carefully and dig deep to understand this.  This book has a great plot so far and the characters are well developed.  For example, the reader sees Jem grow and mature in a normal way.  The author makes him seem very real. The plot is fast paced and the action starts in the third chapter, but since then it has been non-stop action.  I am yet to discover the rest of the plot, but I think it will be good.

3.       Innocence is a recurrent theme throughout the book.  It can be viewed in many characters. Boo Radley is innocent because he does not do harm to any of the kids, but tries to befriend them by putting a blanket around Scout’s shoulders, patching Jem’s pants, and giving them presents.  Another innocent character is Scout because she is young and does not understand important adult issues such as racism and maturity.  She is innocent in her approach to solve problems.  She will fight with others to defend the people she loves.

4.       My favorite character is Atticus.  Atticus is a cool dad.  The kids call him by his first name and he treats them as if they were adults. It also seems as if the town is dependent on him.  They come to him to help solve problems and this is a good trait.  I like that he is not racist and is willing to fight through the courts for what he believes in.  

5.       My least favorite character is Nate Radley.  It seems that he is mean to the kids and that he keeps Boo Radley locked up in the house. He also fills the knot hole with cement which disappoints the children.  Another thing he does is fire off a shot with his shotgun to get the children away.  This seems like an over-reaction. He does not appear to be a friendly neighbor or good brother to Boo.  He doesn’t participate in the community and many people just believe the rumors about him.

6.       I predict that Atticus will go to court with Tom Robinson and he will do the best he can to defend Tom.  I think that Boo Radley will be released from his house and that we discover that he really is a nice person.  I also think that Nate will do something very bad in town that will get him arrested and away from Boo. I feel as though Jem will follow in his father’s footsteps and defend his father the way Atticus had taught him.

Megan Moruzzi

Megan Moruzzi
Just a Dog
Michael Gerard Bauer
Realistic fiction
Holiday
135


1. I have just finished Just a dog by Michael Gerard Bauer. This book was very interesting. I really liked it but it took long time for me to get into it. I liked the fact that they were individual stories. Even though it took me a little while to get use to the book I ended up really liking it. I thought it was cool that they were individual stories because I have never read a book like that. The book was about a dog named Mr. Mosely and all about his life and the stories that made him. He seems like a really awesome dog. In the end the dog dies. It was really sad because I feel like I really got to know him, and it was sad to read that he died. In the end you find out that the little boy is writing down all of Mr. Mosely's stories so that he will always have them with him but you only find that out at the end. Also in the end the author goes into a lot of detail about what they did with Mr. Mosely after he died. He died from bone cancer. This means that at the end of his life he was not able to go up and down the stairs or run to get the paper or do all his usual activities. This was sad to see because you could almost feel the pain he was in. They also talked about how they told Corey that Mr. Mosely had past away- they showed him the dogs body- I don't think that this was an inappropriate way to tell Corey that Mr. Mosely had died because he just started crying right on the spot- this made me feel bad for Corey. I thought that they also made a mistake because when Corey started crying his dad said "stop acting like such a child", thats when his mom punched his dad very seriously and said "he was not just a dog".  This is how the book started off then Corey said "OK lets go back to the beginning". I liked this because it makes it feel like your really reading the stories first hand. Also at the end of the book Corey writes about the burial and how they put a lot of thought into what they said and that they took his bowel and clued it to a rock and used it as a grave.

2.  I thought that the book was alright. It was cool that the book went through the dogs whole life from when they got him as a puppy to when he died. I also liked that you got to experience some of the family turmoil. It made you understand the dogs living conditions we not always perfect even though every one in the family loved him very much. Even though I ended up liking the book it was very hard to get into and some of the stories didn't make much sense. In all of the stories it was never the dog doing something wrong it was always the humans doing something and that seemed a little unrealistic. It was never Mr. Mosely's fault. The fact that the stories are about a dog really pulls me into the story because I love dogs and this dog is very obedient and all he wants to do is please his "people". I also really like the characters in the book they are so kind to him, like when there was a thunder storm and they let him come in the house and lye under the bed and then Corey got all his blankets and went under the bed with him and "cozied up" I think this was very thoughtful of Corey and probably really made Mr. Mosely feel better. Also when Mr. Mosely got older and he was not able to go up the stairs Corey's dad carried him so that he didn't have to go though any more pain. Over all I think the book was fun to read but I was very slow at first.

3. It think that the biggest theme in this book is power of silence. I think that this is a huge theme in this book because Moe is the biggest character and he cant talk. He also communicates to his owners without saying anything and it is a huge part. When Corey's mom was pregnant Moe knew it before everyone else did. He stuck with her, and everyone thought that he was acting really weird. About a month later they found out that she was pregnant and then came to the conclusion that Moe new it all along. He also communicated that he hated this stuffed animal panther. He would get all scared when someone went to the cabinet that it was in and he would run away when they took it out. I think that this theme appears mostly in the characters. Also when Corey's dad and Uncle got in the fight Corey's dad didn't talk for about 2 weeks long. He was telling his whole family that he didn't want to be bothered and that he was really upset. This show that the theme power of silence is very consistent through out this whole novel.

4. My favorite character is Corey. Corey is the main character in the book and the one who is writing it (its a journal). I really like Corey because he is so kind and gentle throughout the whole book. He is kind to Mr. Mosey, his sisters, and his mom and dad. e is also very sensitive. whenever something happens to Mr. Mosey he is always very concerned and sometimes blames himself. One time Mr. Mosey got his lips stuck in a fishing hook and Corey kept calling him and he couldn't move because his lips were caught but he kept trying to but he would just cry. Corey blamed himself for Moe having to go to the vet because he kept calling him and giving him pain but it wasn't his fault that his lips got caught in the first place. He is also very caring- he stuck with Moe when he got hit by a car and tended to all of his needs. He also seemed to be the saddest one when Moe died. I also really like him because he was the one that taught Moe his super trick- being able to catch the news paper in his mouth while the delivery person goes bye. I also like Corey because he is very loyal to his family.

5. My least favorite character is Corey's dad. I really don't like his because he is very mean to his family the whole time they have Moe. Its strange to me because he is very nice and loyal to him before they get Moe but while they have him he doesn't treat them right. In the book he has a really hard time finding work and so he ends up having to go to an overnight job in a far away place that he can only come home on the weekends. While he is gone his brother comes to his house a lot and hangs out with his family just to make sure everything is ok with them and to lend them some money while they are in there hard financial times. He is also very loving to the kids and drive them where they need to go- He is just a helpful extra hand and good company. One day when Corey's dad was gone and "Uncle Cavin" was over, Corey's dad came home unexpectedly and he was in a very angry mood because he had just gotten laid off (fired) from his job. While Cavin was putting the sheets up to dry Corey's dad came up behind him and started beating him up and saying that he shouldn't be here because he's not the father- and that he didn't want his bloody money or anything to do with him. He also said that he didn't ever want to see him again. He beat him up really hard and there was blood everywhere. While Cavin was running away to get in his car and leave, Corey's mom and dad started to get in an argument about how he shouldn't not have done that and that he was only trying to help the family. Corey's dad said that if thats what she wanted he should have just married him. Thats what made me really hate him- he was so vicious to his family and never even apologized to his brother. He has a flaring temper that he cant control and it makes me really not trust him and a character.

6. Towards the end of the book I had a feeling that Mr. Mosley was going to die. I didn't expect that he was going to die of bone cancer though and it really made it hard to expect the fact that he was dead because there were no happy things that happened in between Moe getting cancer and him dying. The thing I really didn't expect was that the family was going to bond over the fact that he had died. I thought it would have made corey's dad even more angry but what ended up happening was when Corey's dad was in the garage alone Corey came over to him and sat down. They talked all about Moe's wonderful stories and how happy he made them. They were talking and laughing at the table in the garage so much that his mom and other sister came down and started talking about it to- thats where they got the idea about the journal. It also bonded his mom and dad and talking about Moe really started to form there relationship again. This is important because they really did not like each other before and didn't really talk. Even though it didn't make me like Corey's dad any more it made me fell good lthat they were acting like family again!!